


Remember Me

by Deannachu



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: Car Wreck, M/M, Slight Memory Loss
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-14
Updated: 2014-07-14
Packaged: 2018-02-08 18:34:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,302
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1951776
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Deannachu/pseuds/Deannachu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Michael and Gavin are driving home from work one night when they get into a terrible car wreck. While Gavin's injuries aren't as severe, he is told that Michael is experiencing memory loss, and ultimately may not remember him at all.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Remember Me

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt by greenpuma88: Michael and Gavin are driving back to work or home when they are involved in a bad car accident. After being knocked unconscious, they are separated in the hospital and are forced to endure hours of treatment and observation before they are able to see each other. 
> 
> I put my own twist on it, so I hope you guys enjoy! <3

It was getting to be late at night at the Rooster Teeth office, and everyone else had already gone home for the day. However, there was still a single light on in the building belonging to the Achievement Hunter office. Michael and Gavin sat in the room, Michael lounging on the sofa while Gavin sat at his desk, finishing up some last minute editing.

Michael sighed, running a hand over his tired face. “How much longer do you have, Gav?” he asked, anxious to go home and sleep. He didn’t get much the night before, due to Gavin wanting to have an impromptu movie night with horror movies even though he all but shits himself any time he watches one. Half the night was spent comforting his idiotic boyfriend, the other half was spent looking under the bed and in the closet for any monsters that may be hidden and investigating any random creak in the apartment because they freaked him out too.

“Just about done,” the Brit replied, clicking his mouse and tapping on the keyboard. Finally he rolled away from the desk, his computer shutting down and put his headphones on his desk. He got up and stretched, letting out a yawn. “Alright, let’s go home. I’m starving and I know you want to go to bed, Michael.” He sounded a little guilty, knowing he was the reason for Michael being so exhausted but Michael just waved it away and wrapped an arm around his boi, leading them from the room and the building.

“We’ve still got leftovers at home,” Michael commented, unlocking his car. “I’ll heat those up for you if you want to shower or something when we get home.” Gavin nodded and held back another yawn as he slipped inside. He buckled his seatbelt and turned fiddled with the radio once Michael started the car, settling on a station with laid back music for the ride home.

The car began its journey towards their apartment and the two boys made some unimportant small talk to pass the time. When Michael seemed like he was about to close his eyes Gavin reached over and blasted the air conditioning, jolting Michael awake with the sudden blast of cold air. “I’m torn between kicking your ass and thanking you,” he joked.

“Just thank me,” Gavin snickered, squeezing Michael’s hand. Michael turned his head to throw a sleepy grin a Gavin, and while Gavin was admiring his boyfriend’s handsome face and the way he had a genuine smile meant only for him, a sudden blaring of a horn jolted them both back to attention just as Michael slammed into the side of a truck, sending his car flipping over and over until it finally landed upside down feet from impact.

Gavin faded in and out of consciousness, aware at the pain in his side and his head, as well as the blood coming from multiple cuts and scrapes all over his body. Everything hurt and everything was fuzzy but all he could think about was Michael, who so far was making absolutely no noise in the seat next to him. Gavin strained his neck to look at his boyfriend and gasped at what he saw.

Michael was unconscious, blood pouring from a deep gash in his head, and his arm looked like it was broken. Gavin was sure he had bruises and scrapes he just couldn’t see and he was absolutely terrified. He started to cry as he struggled with the seatbelt, which was trapping him inside the car. He heard footsteps and commotion all around the car, feeling the movement from people trying to get them out. He felt his seatbelt being snipped and felt his body being dragged from the wreckage and placed a few feet above the ground on a stretcher.

“Excuse me? Sir? Can you hear me?” a voice said near his face, a light shining in his eyes, causing his head to pound even worse. “Sir? Do you know where you are right now?” Gavin just grunted in response and mumbled something about Michael before he felt himself being rolled away and loaded into an ambulance. Before the doors shut and he lost consciousness, he saw Michael being pulled from the car. His heart sank.

Michael looked broken, almost beyond repair.

* * *

 

Gavin woke up in a dark room, unaware of where he was. His mind felt foggy and he felt a dulled pain throughout his whole body. He heard beeping, belonging to the machines he was hooked up to, and heard the faint drip of what he guessed was the IV attached to his hand. He was in the hospital, he was bandaged and drugged up, and he was going to be okay.

But where was Michael? He blinked a few times, trying to clear away the haziness in his mind but it didn’t work. All he felt like doing was slipping back into sleep again, but he wanted to know where Michael was. The picture of his broken body flashed in Gavin’s mind and he squirmed under the sheets, trying to untangle himself from all the wires. He heard footsteps in the room and felt someone trying to restrain him.

“Shh, Gavin, shh. Don’t do that, you’ll rip everything out,” a voice whispered to him. He recognized that voice.

“Lindsay?” he mumbled.

“Yes,” she replied. She switched on a small lamp in the corner, lighting up the room dimly, and Gavin could see her finally. She looked exhausted and ruffled, like she was pulled out of bed in the middle of the night. Which, Gavin guessed, she probably was.

“What are you doing here?” he asked weakly.

“What am I doing here? My two best friends got in one of the worst car accidents anyone had ever seen; what do you think I’m doing here?” she cried, tears forming in her eyes as she sat down on the edge of his bed. “You have no idea how scared I was, receiving that phone call. The policemen went through your phone to find a contact and I guess I was the first one they pulled up. As soon as I got that phone call I drove here and I’ve been waiting ever since for you to wake up, Gav.”

“What time is it?” he asked groggily.

“It’s almost eight in the morning.” Gavin tried to remember what time it was when he and Michael left the office, and he guessed it was around eight thirty or nine, so he’s been in the hospital almost twelve hours. He shifted around, trying to find another comfortable position, but the pain was starting to come back in certain places.

“Where,” he started, swallowing to get rid of the thick feeling in his throat, “where’s Michael?” he asked. Lindsay didn’t respond right away, looking at Gavin and biting her lip. She looked conflicted and Gavin felt his eyes swell up with tears. “Is he okay?”

“He… he had a lot more injuries than you, Gav,” she whispered, taking his hand in hers. “More head trauma, more broken bones, more everything. He had a little bit of internal bleeding. The doctors are still working on him.”

_No,_ he thought, not even bothering to wipe the few tears running down his cheek. _No, Michael. No._ Lindsay pressed a button near the bed and a nurse’s voice came pouring out. “Yes?”

“I think Gavin might need more morphine, he’s acting like he’s in pain again,” Lindsay said, wiping her eyes.

“I’ll send a nurse right up.”

“Lindsay I’m fine,” he said through gritted teeth. “I want to go see Michael.”

“You can’t until they get done working on him, Gav,” she said softly, pressing him gently to keep him on the bed. “I know you’re worried about him, I am too. Ray and Geoff are in the waiting room right now; they’ve been here about as long as I have. Do you want them to come see you after while?”

“I just want Michael,” Gavin whined as the nurse came walking in the room. She was younger and had a kind face, smiling softly at Gavin.

“I just thought you may want to know, Mr. Jones is out of surgery,” she told him, pressing a clipboard to her chest. “The doctors have said that he will make a full recovery, but he will need to remain in the hospital for at least a week.”

Gavin sighed in relief, half of the worry removed from his shoulders. “So… can I see him any time soon?” The nurse’s smile faded as she pressed a button on Gavin’s IV. He felt the morphine flow into his veins and he felt himself starting to drift away. He finally fell unconscious once more and into a dreamless sleep as his body continued the slow process of healing.

“There’s one more thing,” the nurse told Lindsay. She raised her eyebrows, wary of the sad look on her face. “Mr. Jones… the head trauma from the crash may affect his memory. He may not remember the crash or other events of last night. He… he may not remember Mr. Free, either.”

Lindsay was silent. “So… this is all temporary, right? Like he’ll get his memory back in a week or so, right?” The nurse place a hand on her shoulder and squeezed.

“It’s hard to say. I just thought I would let you know, in case you go visit him and he has no idea who you or anyone else is,” she replied, leaving the room. Lindsay was left alone with Gavin, who was sleeping soundly on his bed.

“Poor Gavin,” she whispered, turning off the lamp and leaving his room to go find Michael’s. She had to go see for herself if it was true, if Michael didn’t really have much of his memory. If Michael didn’t remember Gavin, then he wouldn’t remember that they were dating. He wouldn’t remember the love he has for the Brit. Gavin would be heart broken.

* * *

 

After some searching and one instance of getting horribly lost, Lindsay found herself outside Michael’s hospital room. It was open, and she could see Ray and Geoff inside sitting beside the bed, one of Michael’s hands in each of their own. She could hear their conversation inside and her heart sank.

“I… I feel like I should know you,” Michael muttered, and Lindsay had to lean in more to hear what he said. “My gut feeling is telling me that I know you and that you both are really important to me, but I… I don’t remember why.”

Lindsay could see Ray’s face fall as he listened to Michael talk. “We’re your best friends,” he replied, smiling sadly. “We all work in the same company together; we play video games for a living.”

“No way,” Michael laughed weakly. “You’re bullshitting me. I think I would remember if I played fucking video games for a living.”

“Well your memory isn’t the best right now,” Geoff commented. “But maybe it’ll all come back to you eventually.”

“Maybe. So what are your names anyway?” Michael asked.

“I’m Ray and that’s Geoff.”

“Ray and Geoff… I’ll make sure to remember that,” Michael said. Lindsay chose that moment to walk into the room, knocking on the door to alert the men to her presence.

“Hey Lindsay,” Geoff said, smiling slightly at her. Ray shot her a smile as well and she returned both of them, sitting at the end of Michael’s bed. Michael looked at her curiously, not sure what to make of the newcomer. He studied her intently, even though his eyes were still glazed over from the drugs in his body.

“Well hello beautiful,” he said cheekily, slurring slightly because of the drugs in his system. “I’m pretty sure I should know you too, but you’ll have to forgive me; my brain’s a bit fucked up right now.” He smiled hazily at her and she couldn’t help but giggle, even though her heart was breaking for Gavin at the same time.

“I’m Lindsay; I work with you too, and we’re also best friends,” she said, patting his leg. His eyebrows raised and the look of shock on his face was laughable – almost.

“No shit? Damn, who else do I get to work with? Are they as beautiful as you, because if so then I am one lucky son of a bitch,” he jokingly sad, wiggling his eyebrows at her. She rolled her eyes.

“Those drugs really have you messed up, man,” Ray said, sitting back in his chair. “I mean, you’re kind of like this normally, but not about Lindsay. About Gav-“

“So is any of this coming back to you?” asked Geoff, cutting Ray off because Lindsay was sure he was also concerned that Michael didn’t remember Gavin. “The car crash, your life, any of it?” Michael squinted his eyes while trying to remember anything he could about Rooster Teeth or the car crash.

“Well… there’s one thing, and… I don’t know if it’s a real memory,” he said, “but I remember that there’s one person at this supposed company I work for that makes me really happy. But… it’s not you,” he looked at Ray, “or you,” Geoff, “or you.” He looked at Lindsay and the sad look on his face made her smile. “It’s… am I crazy or am I… am I gay?”

The three looked at one another and Lindsay sighed with relief. Even if he didn’t remember Gavin’s name right away, at least he remembered that he had feelings for the guy. “You’re gay, Michael. You came out to your parents before you moved down here to Texas three years ago.”

“I thought I was just crazy but… I guess you’re right,” he said, agreeing with her. “So this… this person that makes me happy. It’s a guy?” They nodded. “But… why don’t I remember his name?”

“The doctors said you had extensive head trauma, and it probably affected your memory,” Lindsay responded. “So it’s perfectly okay if you don’t remember anything, Michael. It’ll all come back with time.” She hoped that last part wasn’t a lie, because she was thinking about Gavin and she really didn’t want to have to go back to him and tell him that his boyfriend would never remember their relationship again.

“I just… I feel so sad that I can’t remember,” he whispered, a tear rolling down his face.

“Do you remember anything about the guy?” Ray asked, trying to be helpful.

“I… I remember that he’s taller than me. I think… I think he’s… he’s got an accent?” Geoff smiled broadly and nodded, egging him on to continue. “Uh… something about bread. He’s allergic to it, maybe?” The friends just laughed because Michael, even though he didn’t remember Gavin’s name, he remembered (kind of) what Gavin absolutely hated. “Why am I picturing a large ass nose when I try and remember that guy?”

“Maybe because he does have a pretty large nose?” Ray snickered. “So you can remember all of that, but a name doesn’t come to you?” He shook his head. “Well, it’ll take time, I know. Now, do you remember anything about the car crash?”

“Just that someone – I guess the guy – was in the car with me, I think, and it hurt. A lot.”

“Well you’re not wrong,” Lindsay said, smiling softly. “You guys t-boned a truck, but your car flipped several times and it landed upside down a few feet away. Both of you had major injuries, but he wasn’t as hurt as you were.”

“So he’s in the hospital?” asked Michael, looking eager. “I want to see him. Ow, fuck.” He gritted his teeth when he tried to shift around. “I think the morphine is wearing off.”

“On it,” Geoff said, and pressed the button on his IV to release more. Lindsay rolled her eyes and smacked him across the head.

“The nurse is supposed to do that!” she hissed.

“Well he wanted more drugs and I gave him more drugs,” Geoff said innocently, motioning to where Michael’s eyes had drooped and his breathing had become even.

“You sound like his drug dealer,” Ray laughed, placing the chair back where he found it and joining the other two by the door. “Let’s go see Gavin.”

“The nurse gave him another dose of morphine about twenty minutes ago, so I’m sure he’s still asleep. Let’s go get food and then when we come back I’m sure he’ll be awake,” Lindsay suggested. The men nodded and followed her out.

“I sure hope Michael can remember Gavin’s name,” Geoff murmured as they reached the elevator.

“Well he’s remembering details, so that’s a good thing,” Lindsay replied, wrapping a comforting arm around the two. “It’s only a matter of time until a name and memories are to follow.”

* * *

 

Lindsay, Ray, and Geoff didn’t return until around two, having to go to the office to explain what had happened, even though they desperately wanted to be there for their friends. Burnie asked if there was anything he could do and they just shook their heads. Everyone was relieved when Lindsay told them that Michael and Gavin would make a full recovery, but she didn’t mention Michael’s memory loss, knowing it would just send everyone into a panic and she didn’t want or need that right now.

Lindsay was in the Achievement Hunter office and noticed Michael’s diamond necklace laying on his desk. He had gotten Gavin the minecraft creeper one, which was also laying on the desk. She smiled and picked them both up, choosing to take them with her when she went back to the hospital.

When she arrived, she went immediately to Gavin’s room and was happy to see that he was awake and slightly alert. “Hey Linds,” he greeted warmly. He was sitting up now, a tray of food in front of him. He had eaten everything except for the Jell-O, which she didn’t blame him seeing as it was orange Jell-O.

She laughed when she pointed this out to him and he grimaced at it. “I don’t blame you, Gav. Orange Jell-O is not good Jell-O.”

“Not at all. So, have you gone to see Michael yet?” He looked anxiously at her, wanting desperately to hear any good news about the love of his life.

“I have, and he really is going to be okay,” she reassured him. She left out the memory loss part, not really knowing how to bring that up with him. He let out a nervous breath.

“I’m so glad. Do you think I can see him today?” he asked, searching her face. She bit her lip and shrugged.

“I don’t know; I would ask the nurse, but I’m sure it wouldn’t be a big deal. So I went back to the office and I managed to grab this for you; I thought you might want it right now.” She held up the diamond necklace and he reached for it eagerly, bring it close to his face so he could study it. She saw the fondness in his eyes and her heart swelled with how much Gavin cared for Michael.

“Can I… can I have mine? So I can personally give it to him?” he asked quietly, looking up at her from the necklace. She nodded and pulled out his necklace and dropped it into his hand. He promptly reached over and pressed the button for the nurse.

“Yes, Mr. Free?”

“I was wondering if it were possible that I could go visit my friend, the one who was in the wreck with me.” There was a moment of silence before the nurse responded.

“A nurse is on the way to your room.” Gavin grinned at Lindsay and she smiled back, though her smile wasn’t as happy as his own. _What if he doesn’t remember?_ She hadn’t visited Michael yet, so she was unsure how much more he recalled of his relationship.

A nurse came into the room, pushing an empty wheelchair. She smiled and asked if he would need any assistance getting to his room and Gavin shook his head, telling her that Lindsay would help him. She left the room after helping Gavin into the wheelchair and Lindsay rolled him out of the room.

“Gavin, there’s something you need to know about Michael,” she said hesitantly.

“What? What’s wrong, Linds?” he asked, clearly panicking.

“The nurse said that his head injuries were pretty extensive, and that he has some memory loss issues.”

“So he doesn’t remember the crash?”

Lindsay bit her lip. “Not just the crash. He doesn’t remember me, or Geoff, or Ray, or…”

Gavin placed his hands on the wheels, causing it to stop moving abruptly. “Are you… are you saying that Michael doesn’t remember me? At all?”

“He – he remembers small things, small details about you, but… he doesn’t remember your name.” She said this last part softly, knowing that it was a big blow to Gavin He was excited to see his boyfriend, to survey his injuries and to comfort him, to love him, and now he’s just been told that Michael doesn’t even remember his name.

“So when we go in there, he’s… he’s not going to know who I am? He’s not going to remember when we first started dating, or that our one year anniversary is coming up, or any of our dates or…”

“I haven’t been to see him since earlier this morning, Gav, so between then and now there’s a good possibility he may have remembered something-“

“Lindsay don’t lie to me to make me feel better,” he said quietly, looking back at her. He was hurting, she could tell, so she stopped talking. “Well, I guess there’s only one way to find out, right? Let’s go see him.” Lindsay began pushing Gavin once more and finally they were outside of his room. She heard Ray and Geoff inside, and she thought they were showing him pictures and video of the company to try and jog his memory. It seemed to be working because he said loudly, “I remember that! Geoff, you fucker!”

“Knock knock,” she said, announcing herself to the room. She peeked inside, brightening when she saw that Michael was alert. He was still in obvious discomfort, but there was no doubt that his mind wasn’t a morphine-filled haze anymore. “I’ve got surprise for you,” she told him. He eagerly shifted so that he was sitting straight up instead of leaning back, and tried to look around the door. Lindsay wheeled Gavin in, noticing how Michael’s eager look turned to one of curiosity. She couldn’t see Gavin’s face but she knew he must be terrified right now, not knowing if Michael remembered him or not.

“Hello Michael,” Gavin said softly. Michael stared at Gavin and Lindsay noticed that he was getting emotional, but probably didn’t remember why. “I- I know you don’t remember who I am, but I’ve got something that might help with your memory.” He began to stand up, clearly in pain, and Geoff rushed over to support him while Lindsay kept ahold of his IV pole. He shuffled toward the bed and held out his hand, his necklace dangling from his fingers.

Michael made no move to take the necklace, instead his eyes flickered back and forth from the necklace to Gavin’s face. His eyes shone with unshed tears and Lindsay could see that he was fighting, fighting to remember why, just why that necklace was so important and the name of the man standing before him because he knew that this was the most important man in the world to him. He was the one with the big nose and the aversion the bread, the one with the to-die-for accent, who somehow made his heart quicken in pace and his palms sweat with nerves.

Lindsay knew that for Michael, it was like meeting and falling for Gavin all over again.

Finally Michael took the necklace, wincing slightly as he stretched, and held it up in front of his face, studying it intently. Gavin hurt at the sight of Michael’s bruises and cuts, as they covered his face and his neck, but this was still the man he loved. He nervously sat on the end of his bed and waited, waited for Michael to say something – anything.

“I… I bought these,” he finally said, looking at Gavin’s face for confirmation. Gavin nodded. “I bought these for us.”

“For our six month anniversary, you bought us those necklaces. That one is mine, and I have yours right here,” Gavin explained, holding up Michael’s diamond necklace for him to see. Michael took it and held the necklaces together, admiring them side by side. Lindsay could see something in his eyes, and she knew that details were slowly coming back to him.

The room was silent for a few moments and Lindsay stepped back to sit beside Ray and Geoff. She took each of their hands and squeezed.

“Gavin.” It was quiet, barely audible, but Lindsay heard. She saw Gavin’s head snap up quickly, hopefully. “Gavin David Free.”

“You remember,” Gavin whispered, emotion clear in his voice. She saw him wipe at his face, trying to wipe away tears, but it was no use because he started crying really hard. Michael remembered him.

Michael smiled lovingly at Gavin and handed back his necklace, putting his own around his neck. He placed his hands on Gavin’s face and ran a thumb along his cheek, staring into his eyes, and leaned in for a soft kiss. “How could I forget my own boyfriend?” he whispered when they broke away, sounding guilty.

“Michael, I’m not upset,” Gavin said firmly. “You had head trauma, you had no control over that. What’s important,” his voice cracked, “what’s important is that you _remember.”_


End file.
